I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Okay, well, not completely unbiased, because I love Jodi Meadows. I was so excited to get approved for this! I loved the You've Got Mail vibes from this, and as a girl who has had one of those "best" friends who makes everything about her, the Rachel situation felt very true and relatable to me. I'm trying to imagine myself meeting any of my most favorite authors and not having an Ingrid moment, but I know that I would be so awkward and excited! All in all, quick read and despite some of the tense moments, this was a light read that anyone who likes an awkwardly cute YA fmc will enjoy.

When Ingrid decides she has had enough of her "best friend" Rachel, she leans more into her online persona and friends. When a chance text starts turning into a friendship, Ingrid starts suspecting that the person goes to her school. Any online RPGer will love this awesome middle school story.

An utterly delightful MG novel with the sweetest romance at the core. 8th grader Ingrid runs an anonymous and very popular social media account, deals with a toxic friendship, loves video games and fantasy books, and has trauma in her past. There's a lot going on but the story comes together beautifully and is never preachy. This a great one for younger middle schoolers looking for romance. Loved loved loved!

An 8th grade romance that revolves around social media, fantasy books, and IRL friends. Meadows does a great job of incorporating good digital habits into the story without them being intrusive. Perhaps I'm showing my age, but I was a bit confused in the beginning about Ingrid's personal messages and her blog. I doubt young readers will have the same problem. Recommended for 5th-8th graders.

I rarely give a book 5 stars but as I thought about it, I couldn’t think of anything to complain about. The chapters were real and well developed, the plot held together and kept me turning pages, there were characters to love and like and yes, loathe - all in all everything I love in a story. .
I wish Alyx, Oliver’s sister had been more of a central character, she looked interesting, but you can’t have everything.
Ingrid was a great main character - not perfect but nicely flawed. The more I think about it, old fashioned or not, that name is starting to grow on me. By not having Ingrid and Traveler meet until the end I think the author was able to show young teenage “romance” without all of the drama and angst that so many similar books have. There was typical angst, after all they are teenagers, but not between the pair, which left room to examine Ingrid’s thoughts and feelings without having them get lost in the drama.
I hope to see this book on the shelves of our school’s library - I am pretty sure it will have a waiting list.

A cute, quirky story for fans of video games. My students would enjoy this but I do think the romance angle was a bit too old for my 5th graders.

I was genuinely surprised by this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from a middle grade book at the age of 25, but I saw so much of myself at 13 and even now. Ingrid being a book lover introvert is something I relate A LOT to as a self anointed ambivert, I get super introverted easily. Also, growing up I bounced around friends a lot because I always felt like I was the same as Ingrid. The popular girl's oldest friend who she's stuck with. And I'm active on bookstagram so I have a group of online best friends!!! This was so cute and I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thirteen-year-old Ingrid is very shy and introverted in real life. She lives with her grandma ever since her parents died in a car accident. And she also gets wrong number texts. The first random texter signed off with “Bye Forever, I Guess,” and Ingrid started social media scroll with these wayward texts under the Bye Forever title. Only her online gamer BFF Lorren (who lives in the Midwest) and pseudo friend Rachel know about it. When something happens at school and Ingrid finally stands up to Rachel, she feels even more alone. That is until she gets another wrong number text from another gamer. Ingrid starts to open up to Traveler and begins to realize that he might be a student at her school. It’s one thing to confide in an online friend who lives far away and another to trust someone who might be very close by.
This is a very sweet and predictable story. I think it will appeal to tween fans of fantasy epic series and MMP games. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
#ByeForeverIGuess #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I loved this so much <3

I related so much with Ingrid, especially growing up as a quiet introverted kid. I think other introverted kids will be able to relate with her as well, in her struggles to navigate toxic friendships.

I also appreciate how responsible Ingrid and her grandma are in using social media; I think this sets a good example for kids who are growing up with the internet now, as it can show them how to safely navigate internet friendships.

Speaking of Ingrid's grandma, I love their relationship so much 😭😭😭 She is so lovely and supportive of Ingrid.

The plot was so much fun, I couldn't put this down because I HAD to find out what happened next!

If I had one critique, it would be that the ending was resolved a little too easily, but other than that, this book was fantastic! I would highly recommend it for any kid (or adult).

I absolutely adored this book! Ingrid is such a relatable, endearing heroine. Her relationship with her friends really came to life on the page and was definitely my favourite part of this book. The dialogue was quick and snappy, and often had me grinning from ear to ear.

I felt like this book did a very good job of depicting the importance of positive friendships and I was so glad that, so early on, Ingrid realized that one of her friendships was toxic and that she wasn’t going to allow herself to be subjected to that any more. I also really loved how characters in this book realized they were wrong, admitted when they made mistakes, and worked to make things better. It’s just full of important lessons for this age group.

I’m sad that this is the author’s only middle grade novel, but I hope that she continues, because she really knocked it out of the park!

This book was a joy. Bye, Forever I Guess encapsulates middle school's loneliness, friendships, crushes, and complex emotions with ease and delight. Well-structured and excellently paced, Jodi Meadows has managed to capture the intricacy that is female tween friendships with care and authenticity. Helpful ways to notice, deal with, and discuss codependency, emotional discomfort, and social pressure are detailed through character interactions.

The main character, Ingrid, is respectful, thoughtful, and honest as we follow her journey of books, positive female friendships, MMORPGs, and crushes. Whether in middle school or long past graduation, many female readers will recognize the age-old struggles and wish they had a book like this as a companion.

Bye Forever, I Guess, is perfect for any middle school student labeled shy, bookish, or nerdy to understand she is perfect and loveable —
No modifications needed.

I think many young readers will adore this book even more than I did. The characters are sweet and passionate and most importantly, feel like real people. At first, I needed a moment to get into the juvenile writing style — the main characters are 8th graders after all, but once a was past that I was hooked. Although a major plot point is assumingly intentionally predictable, I did want to read more and find out how the characters that didn't know it yet were going to find out, and how they would react.

I like how it portrayed the way one can lose all their friends — fall out with one and lose the entire friend group in the process — and the loneliness in which it results. I also want to applaud the book for writing about healthy relationships with parental figures where online safety is something that's openly discussed.


Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute read! Ingrid was such a great main character, and I saw a lot of myself in her. Her and Lorrens friendship was just so sweet. I also like the portrayal of middle school friendships and drama. I think this is a great book for middle schoolers, but also can be enjoyed by older people. Overall I would definitely recommend this book!

I keep getting requests for more middle grade romance, and I'll be recommending this to everyone! The text conversations are hilarious and sound like middle schoolers. Secondary characters, like Ingrid's grandmother and a former friend, add to the richness of the story.

This book. THIS BOOK. It’s so achingly SWEEET. I could have finished it all in one sitting as I was just so taken by the story and these characters. But alas I had to sleep at some point. This book made me CRY and Literally Laugh out Loud . Can I just say, this author is so dang good at what she does.

This book is about friendships irl and online, and about first crushes. It follows Ingrid, an introverted 8th grader as she struggles with old friendships and tries to make new ones. This is also a love letter to fandoms and book obsessions. I loved seeing Ingrid be excited about her favorite novels and author. I need to mention that this book would have been EVERYTHING to me if I had it when I was in middle school. Especially for the part about dealing with toxic one sided friendships. These characters seemed very emotionally mature, which to an adult can seem a bit off but I think is very necessary to get points across to younger readers. As an adult reading this, I truly appreciated the maturity of the adults as well. Her Grandma Jo is amazing at listening and explaining things to Ingrid, it was so sweat to witness. I think both kids and adults would benefit from this book in different ways.

Anyway, I will be looking out for more Jodi Meadows books because she has made a fan out of me.

A truly pitch perfect 8th grade romance full of incredibly geeky hijinks.

I had SUCH a good time reading this book! It’s full of clever banter, deep feelings, and relatably awkward moments that make all of its characters stand out on the page. Ingrid’s discoveries are important and feel authentic; learning to stand up for yourself when those around you make you feel bad about yourself, making amends when you’ve been proven wrong, communicating your feelings to those you love, overcoming shyness and anxiety all play huge parts in this one.

The romance was sweet and slow, built from a lovely friendship and with a boy that truly thought about her feelings in an awkward and weird situation. I liked how much power Ingrid was given to say no at every point, and the kindness and respect they had for each other as friends first.

I loved the online gaming inclusion!! Online friends are real friends!! Shared interests are valid foundations for forever relationships!! As someone who met their best friend online over a decade ago, I loved Lorren’s role as online hype girl and soul confidante in this one.

Yeah. Love this. Some bad editing errors in the ebook lose .25 stars for me but that’s not the author’s fault.

I absolutely adored this and it made the kid in me absurdly happy.

Ingrid and Lorren's friendship is the kind I'm still searching for, and I'm glad they both have that for each other. Ingrid and Grandma's relationship is so heartwarming. I could wax poetic, but it would take too long and need to include too many spoilers, which I do my best to avoid. The whole knitting aspect (as someone who crochets & only occasionally knits) was fun for me.

Finding your voice, figuring out who your true friends are, and healing are my key takeaways from reading this.

Admittedly, there are some aspects that were predictable, however, they're what made this an instant comfort read (for me) because I was able to focus more on the journey to those predictable moments instead of wanting & trying to figure them out.

Online friendships, real-life drama, and a mystery crush make Bye Forever, I Guess a middle school girl's dream read. Nerdy girls will love chronically online Ingrid and her video game obsession as well as her love for that one series that lives rent-free in her head (think back to when you first read Harry Potter or The Lightning Thief). Girls who are into social media will like reading about Ingrid's super secret Scrollr account and how she navigates that secret in her everyday life. I think everyone will connect with the friendship drama. There's a lot that young readers can learn including setting boundaries, speaking up for themselves, and communicating your feelings. Then there is a mystery crush who is pretty obvious to me but it also has a lot to do with miscommunication. The romance is sweet and wholesome although frustrating at times. There are great examples of healthy relationships including her Yarn Star grandma who makes YouTube videos and gives great advice. There's also Lorren who may be a friend Ingrid knows only online but is a true friend who not only has her same hobbies but is always there for her when she needs to talk.

Bye Forever, I Guess is an ode to nerdy girls and a great read for those who love realistic stories about friendship drama, secrets, and crushes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Bye Forever, I Guess in exchange for an honest review.

I REALLY wish thirteen year-old me would have had this book! This cozy, quirky story was a FANTASTIC read. All of the truth of middle school social pressure. Ingrid struggles with being one person in public and someone completely different in private/online--the second one being where she can really break out, love what she loves LOUDLY, and unashamed. After Ingrid blows up what social life she has at school by standing up to the popular girl, she finds herself without even the fake popularity. But then her two worlds begin to collide, beginning with an accidental text...and Ingrid has no idea if that's a good thing, or if she can trust this new, mysterious friend. LOVE THIS STORY. Get it for the nerdy, popular, sweet, kind, driven, uncertain tween in your life. Get it for yourself!

This story was so cute and wholesome! I finished this in one day.
Both the title and synopsis drew me in.
Ingrid is a shy eighth grader that loves knitting, reading and playing her favorite MMORPG. For Ingrid it’s easier to make friends online rather than IRL. (which I can relate to!)
Though a middle grade novel, I think this is a good read for any age as this novel depicts different friendships: new, online and real-life, toxic, and healthy.